바로가기메뉴

본문 바로가기 주메뉴 바로가기

logo

Colonial Modernity and the Making of Mokpo as a Dual City

Korea Journal / Korea Journal, (P)0023-3900; (E)2733-9343
2008, v.48 no.3, pp.104-132
https://doi.org/10.25024/kj.2008.48.3.104

  • Downloaded
  • Viewed

Abstract

“Colonial modernity” refers to a particular articulation of the universal notion of “modernity” in the colonial context. Colonial modernity is best seen in the cities of a colony, in particular, where nationals of the imperial country migrate and settle down. Mokpo used to be a small fishing village, but upon its opening in 1897 it began to rapidly grow into an important port city through which rice and cotton produced in the Honam region were transported to Japan. After 1910, Mokpo developed into the biggest commercial and indus-trial city in the region. However, Korean and Japanese residential areas in Mokpo were segregated into the South and North Villages with Mt. Yudal serving as the border. The two villages differed significantly in terms of their infrastructure, including roads, houses, water supply and drainage, street lamps, garbage disposal, and hospitals. Korean members of the Mokpo City Council frequently demanded improvements to the poor public facilities for the native residents, only to be rejected by the Japanese city authorities. The city authorities were generally indifferent to the poor conditions in the Korean areas, and were deliberately so to some extent. Japanese colonizers in Korea attempted to underscore the modernity they brought with them by maintaining wide gaps in living conditions between Japanese and Korean residential areas in cities such as Mokpo, where many Japanese lived. Imperial powers built “dual cities” in their colonies to that end; Mokpo was a model of them.

keywords
Mokpo, colonial modernity, dual city, Japanese colonizers

Reference

1.

Yi, Si-ryong, (1991) Daegu dosim gineung-byeonhwa gwajeong-e gwanhan yeongu,

2.

East Asian Economy News Company, (1941) 朝鮮銀行會社組合 綠,

3.

Government-General of Korea, (1911) 朝鮮總督府統計年譜,

4.

Gunsan Branch of the Keijo Rice Office, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, (1930) 全羅北道·全羅北道南道地主調,

5.

Mokpo City, (1930) 木浦府史,

6.

Nakamura, Siryo, (1925) 朝鮮銀行會社??綠,

7.

Bae, Jong-mu, (1994) Mokpo gaehangsa yeongu, Neuti Namu

8.

Bak, Hwa-seong, (2004) Bak Hwa-seong munhak jeonjip, Pureun Sasangsa

9.

Byeon, Hwa-yeong, (2006) Bak Hwa-seong soseol-eul tonghae bon mokpo-ui singminji geundaeseong, Hanguk munhak iron-gwa bipyeong

10.

Jeong, Tae-yeon, (2007) Hanguk-ui singminjijeok geundae seongchal, Seonin

11.

Kakutaro, Somekawa 染川覺太郞, (1930) 全羅南道事情誌,

12.

Kim, Baek Yung, (2005) Iljeha seoul-eseoui singmin gwollyeok-ui jibae jeollyak-gwa dosi gonggan-ui jeongchihak,

13.

Kim, Gyeong-il, (1992) Iljeha nodong undongsa, Changbi

14.

Kim, Gyeong-il, (2003) Hanguk-ui geundae-wa geundaeseong, Baeksan

15.

Ko, Seok-gyu, (2004) Geundae dosi mokpo-ui singminji geundaeseong, Seoul National University Press

16.

Mokpo Chronicles Compilation Committee, (1991) Mokpoji, Hyangto Munhwasa

17.

Shin, Gi-Wook, (1999) Colonial Modernity in Korea, Harvard University Press

Korea Journal